how to befriend your echo tech....

[bethanne]

Thursday, I had an echo 2 doppler . This time my husband went with me which I believe he found very enlightening. Before he would quiz me after my tests and I wouldn't be able to tell him anything. I find the test to be totally fascinating and have about a hundred questions. But I just lay there nonchalantly on the outside and on the inside I am trying to watch the screen and analyze every comment the tech makes. There has to be a better way. I know the techs cannot say anything, but it seems such a waste to not learn more about what is going on while the images are on the screen.

From what I could tell my measurements had progressed some but still not over the thresholds they consider for surgery. Which has me concerned they may have found something else to explain my symptoms or they may not have an explanation at all which would be even worse.

All I know is that was the scariest experience filling up with all that fluid and not feeling like I could breathe. I am glad the dieretic is giving me some relief, but next time I am going straight to ER that was too scary.

Nancy - thanks for your post regarding the BHP test. I wish I would of known about that at the time I visited my pcp. At the time I just wanted to feel better, thus the antibiotic and dieuretic but now I want to know WHY?

But for now I don't, so I will try to put my energy into changing my diet and fine tuning my cooking habits...

thanks for letting me vent, my husband thanks you too!

and back to the original thought... any suggestions regarding asking for information from your echo tech without feeling like you are asking him to do something wrong?

When I had my chest x-ray on Tuesday, I really wanted to look at it, but I chickened out and didn't ask. (Methodist has a digital system so they do not hang up on a lighted panel to preview)
What do y'all do? Do you ask questions or just wait politely for the doctor to get back to you?

thanks, beth

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Beth,
I think most people don't want to ask questions for fear of what they might hear.

I think the techs like it when we show an interest in what they are doing. I know I always ask them questions and if it is something they cannot answer they will tell you that the doctor will go over that with you.

My last chest x-ray was also a digital one and I asked if I could view it because I wanted to see my wires and the valve. They were more than willing to do this, they even asked me which picture I liked the best and printed it off for me.

So if I were you if you have questions, just ask them.
Take Care

 

[Ross]

Mine actually turned the monitor away from me when I made the comment that the Aortic Regurg looked pretty severe to me with that nice huge jet of RED shooting around it!

Kind of like, "Hey, your not supposed to know what your seeing!"

 

[bethanne]

exactly! It's not like they need to be concerned about job security. LOL! I not looking to be a trained tech I just want to understand what is exactly going on with my body!

I think next time I need to visit fyrfytr's tech!

 

[Karlynn]

Mine actually turned the monitor away from me when I made the comment that the Aortic Regurg looked pretty severe to me with that nice huge jet of RED shooting around it!

I got the same reaction from my tech when having an echo, prior to my surgery. I commented on all the pretty color coming from my mitral valve - trying to relieve a little tension in the room. The monitor was moved immediately. No sense of humor for that tech apparently.

 

[Nancy]

You could always ask, what's the harm, all they could say is no, or wait for the doctor.

Lots of times they have to compare the current tests with the old ones, and that takes some time to do. What we have found is that when this is done, another doctor reviews the two, and that doctor is from the cardiac diagnostic center or a facility like that. He/she then sends the info to your cardiologist.

The CHF test is called BNP, not BHP. Probably was a typo, but just in case you ask for it, they know what you mean.

I hope you get the information you need on Monday.

 

[Bunny_Rabbit]

Hi Beth,

I find that the techs don't really want to say anything because it's not their call to diagnose you, and they want the doctors to do it. However I have found that when I'm real super nice (as always HAHA) and joke around with them, they're pretty good about explaining things to me. They'll even turn the monitor towards me a little so I can watch.

They also like giving me echos because they get a ton of practice on me. I guess it pays to have so many freekin' problems!

 

[Bryan B]

I've found that if they see something they weren't expecting to see they stay very quiet, but if they see what they are expecting to see they are more chatty. During my 2D bubble to look for vegetation on my vavle "mum" was the word. They sent me back up to "discuss" the results with my doctor (who promptly admitted me). When they did the 3D echo to make sure the vegetation was gone she was more than happy to show me the screen (because the vegetation was gone).

 

[SJJ]

Do ya think they have ANY idea how closely we monitor their expressions, verbal output, etc.! I had a good friend who went in periodically to have a scan done as part of a post thyroid cancer check to insure it had not returned. On one occassion, the technician abruptly left the room, something he had never done before. My friend, understandably, grew concerned.....the more so, the longer his absence. Upon his return, she could no longer contain her anxiety and concern and blurted out, "what, WHAT????what do you see, what's wrong!!!!!!!" "Nothing," he replied, I just went out to have a cigarette." Moral of the story: reading techs is like reading tea leaves. It's an interesting pasttime, but perhaps we shouldn't put too much stake in it. For all of us out there who sometimes feel at the mercy of...........
Sue

 

[joy]

I have always been pretty chatty with my techs, and the atmosphere is lighter for me that way. Although....I have young attractive MEN doing my echos. Hmmm, I wonder why they do that? Everybody in the lab knows me and my family really well, so we just kind of talk about the kids, what I have been doing lately, and if I have questions, they answer them. I never axk them to diagnose me though, I ask questions like what the different colors mean, and the tech explained to me that my new mitral valve has three leaflets, not just two, etc... I think it goes with how well the tecks know you. When I had my final preop echo, I had the same tech that was doing my valuplasty, and he told me how interesting that was. He is married with four kids, so we always have something to talk about!

 

[tommy]

I had an echo in ER a few days after a coumadin overdose. The tech was very professional. He probed around like they all do at the start. Then he quietly excused himself as if to fetch some paperwork or something. Within 30 second the cardio came running. My heart was up near my shoulder. It was the quickest echo I ever had. I was in the cath lab a few minutes later getting the percardium drained. Those guys were good.

I had a PET scan last fall to check for re-occurence of melanoma. After the scan, I asked the tech if she got a good picture. She said yes. When I asked her if she would tell me anything, she declined. I surrendered and muttered something about waiting to talk to the doctor. She said I should do that right away. It was a Firday. I didn't sleep a wink all weekend. Results were normal. I could gave strangled her.

 

[epstns]

I've found that the techs at the hospital radiology department are very closed-mouth about all. The cardio I am now seeing is part of a cardiology practice that has their own echo tech's (at least two that I've met). They are friendly and when I begin discussing my previous results and ask if there are any significant changes, they do hint at what they see -- they are just not allowed to evaluate the statistics. The actual discussion with the patient is left to the doctors. At least I know if anything "important" has changed, though.

And, yes, the techs are women and I'm really nice to them. . .

 

[M&M]

You know Its kind of funny that your having this conversation. Just last month I had another echo and the tech was expaining all my valves and where they were and well he chit chated along and when he was done I asked how it looked overall - he said: GOOD very GOOD - but don't tell the doctor I said that.

Well, I thought 'its not suppose to look good and was regurgitating (backing up) more than my last echo. That much I KNOW.. and then I thought - If it looks good - what the heck and I doing here. This test stinks and I don't want it again. So I asked my cardio what other test we could do. I just don't have much faith in echos anymore. My cardio also said the results are +/- 5 points - 5 points !!! Anyways, never again would I ask a tech - so how's it look ?? I don't even want to look at a monitor next time I have the test. I saw so much back up red sputtin back up inside - this one looked much worse than the July one I had done. Yet, the results are close to the same. I think the 5 points +/- is definently to my advantage this time.

Next time - If there is a next time for an echo. I'm closing my eyes.. I don't want to see a thing..

See Ya
Marilyn

 

[medtronic of borg]

echo

echo

I have had to pull rank before they would turn the screen around. I normally don't say much except that they have been using contract to see everything.

Med

 

[Tlock60]

Had a nice tech

Had a nice tech

Hi,
My husband just had another echo and the tech was real nice. She proubly should not have told us anything but we live in a small town in the mountains and well everybody just feels like they are kin to ya...lol.

 

[weekycat]

Mine was quite chatty last time

Mine was quite chatty last time

The first time I had an echo, for diagosing my MVP, it took over an hour, and when I asked the tech for info, I was told that it was his job to get the best pictures possible for the cardiolgist to look at, and that he'd leave it to the Doc to interpret.

The next time he was a little more relaxed and it didn't take nearly as long.

I had one couple of weeks ago, after my arrhythmia problems, and the tech was comparing it to the one last June. He was telling me everything he was finding.."yup this measure's exactly the same" etc.. I guess because nothing had really changed from the last one. And also.. I think he knows that by now, I know a little bit about what's what.

He didn't mention the fact that there was trace mitral insufficiency, or trace tricuspid insufficiency, ( I saw that on my copy of the report), but he did tell me that all my valves were "competent". So I guess that means they're good enough.

 

[bethanne]

Thanks for the feedback. I plan to ask more question with my upcoming stress echo. I will try to ask educational questions versus diognostic ones.

Too bad the doctor doesn't replay the tape and give a play by play! I would be more than glad to bring the popcorn and sodas oops well maybe a diet change is in order... LOL!

It has been fun hearing everyone's stories...